chapter one hundred

─── trauma for you and you and you

          𝔗he elevator slowed us down. After listening to the Bee Gees for like three minutes, there weren't many Staying Alive when we reached the street. Clarisse must've lost a fight with a Hyperborean giant, because she and her chariot were frozen in a block of ice and that was the best of the injuries. The centaurs were nowhere to be seen. Either they'd panicked and ran or they'd been disintegrated. 

The Titan army ringed the building, standing maybe twenty feet from the doors. Kronos's vanguardwas in the lead: Ethan Nakamura, the dracaena queen, and two Hyperboreans. I didn'tsee Prometheus. He was probably praying to be back on the rock.

But Kronos himself stood right in front with his scythe in hand. There was one thing in his way.

"Chiron," Annabeth said, her voice trembling and Luke caught her before she could run to him. He kept his grip tight, hushing her as she struggled.

If Chiron heard us, he didn't answer. He had an arrow notched, aimed straight at Kronos's face. As soon as Kronos saw me, his gold eyes flared. Every muscle in my body froze. Then the Titan lord turned his attention back to Chiron. 

"Step aside, son." Hearing Puck call Chiron his son was weird enough, but Kronos put contempt in his voice, like son was the worst word he could think of. 

"I'm afraid not." Chiron's tone was steely calm, the way he gets when he's really angry. I tried to move, but my feet felt like concrete. Luke, Annabeth, Grover, and Thalia were straining too, like they were just as stuck. 

"Chiron!" Annabeth said. "Look out!" 

The dracaena queen became impatient and charged. Chiron's arrow flew straight between her eyes and she vaporized on the spot, her empty armor clattering to the asphalt. Chiron reached for another arrow, but his quiver was empty. He dropped the bow and drew his sword. 

I knew he hated fighting with a sword. It was never his favorite weapon. That was why Luke had taught me sword fighting and not Chiron.

Kronos chuckled. He advanced a step, and Chiron's horse-half skittered nervously. 

"You're a teacher," Kronos sneered. "Not a hero." 

"Puck was a hero," Chiron said. "He was a good one, until you corrupted him." 

"Fool!" Kronos's voice shook the city. "You filled his head with empty promises. You said the gods cared about me!" 

"Me," Chiron noticed. "You said me." 

Kronos looked confused, and in that moment, Chiron struck. It was a good manoeuvre—a feint followed by a strike to the face. I couldn't have done better myself, but Luke had taught us the counter move for that one and of course, Puck knew that too.

He knocked aside Chiron's blade and yelled, "Back!" A blinding white light exploded between the Titan and the centaur. Chiron flew into the side of the building with such force the wall crumbled and collapsed on top of him. 

"No!" Annabeth wailed. 

The freezing spell broke. We ran toward our teacher, but there was no sign of him. Thalia and I pulled helplessly at the bricks while a ripple of ugly laughter ran through the Titan's army.

 "You!" Annabeth turned on Puck. "To think that I...that I thought—" 

She drew her knife. 

"Annabeth, don't." I tried to take her arm, but she shook me off. She lunged for Kronos, but Luke grabbed her and shoved her behind him, taking the place as he deflected Kronos' scythe. It sent Luke skidding backwards, but he stood tall in front of his little sister.

"I trained you." He hissed. "Everything that boy knows, I know better."

"The turncoat, back again." Kronos growled, Annabeth and Thalia looking confused as I stepped up and pushed Annabeth further back as Luke's face turned into a scowl. "Here to change sides?"

"You only wanted me on your side because you knew I'd be harder to defeat. Puck, we can kill." Luke's face was set in stone as Kronos chuckled. He stepped forward to fight but faltered, as if one part of Puck remembered that Luke had looked after him. I saw the strike coming before my boyfriend did, spinning to kick the back of Luke's knees as the scythe swung where his head would have been.

"So much spirit. I can see why Puck wanted to spare you. Unfortunately, that won't be possible." He raised his scythe. I got ready to defend, but before Kronos could strike, a dog's howl pierced the air somewhere behind the Titan's army. 

I knew that howl.

"Mrs. O'Leary?" The enemy forces stirred uneasily. They began to part, clearing a path through the street like something behind them was forcing them to. Soon there was a free aisle down the centre of Fifth Avenue. Standing at the end of the block was my giant dog, and a small figure in black armor. 

"Nico?" I called. Who let the child out the house?

Mrs. O'Leary bounded toward me, ignoring the growling monsters on either side. Nico strode forward. The enemy army fell back before him like he radiated death. Through the face guard of his skull-shaped helmet, he smiled. 

"Got your message. Is it too late to join the party?" 

"Son of Hades." Kronos spit on the ground. "Do you love death so much you wish to experience it?" 

"Your death," Nico said, "would be great for me." 

"I'm immortal, you fool! I have escaped Tartarus. You have no business here, and no chance to live." 

Nico drew his sword, grinning. "I don't agree." 

"They grow up so fast." I mumbled to Luke, who was rubbing his head. I might have accidentally given him a concussion when I kicked his legs out from beneath him. "He's annoying immortal beings."

"He's your cousin. There's a reason." Luke huffed, rubbing his head. "I need to find my helmet."

Cracks appeared in the road, the sidewalks, the sides of the buildings. Skeletal hands grasped the air as the dead clawed their way into the world of the living. There were thousands of them, and as they emerged, the Titan's monsters got jumpy and nervous. 

There were calls to stand your ground as the sky turned dark and cold. Shadows thickened. A harsh war horn sounded, and as the dead soldiers formed up ranks with their guns and swords and spears, an enormous chariot roared down Fifth Avenue, coming to a stop beside Nico.

The horses were living shadows, fashioned from darkness. The chariot was inlaid with obsidian and gold, decorated with scenes of painful death. Holding the reins was Hades himself, with Persephone riding behind him, both in full battle armor.

"It's a family reunion." I turned and grinned at Annabeth. I noticed that Thalia had paled at the sight of the man. Hades smiled coldly. 

"Hello, Father. You're looking...young." 

"Hades," Kronos growled. "I hope you and the woman have come to pledge your allegiance."

"I'm afraid not." Hades sighed. "Unfortunately, my favourite niece and my son are both quite persuasive. If New York is to fall then I suppose I would miss bickering with my siblings. And if there's one thing we can agree on, you were a shit father!"

"Hi Uncle Hades!" I shouted, waving as Persephone turned. Her face lit up as she waved back. "Hi Auntie!"

She blew a kiss and I grinned. I had such a cool uncle and aunt. Hades sighed, rolling his eyes as Mrs O'Leary panted next to me. I beamed all the same. 

Hades drew his sword, a double-edged Stygian blade etched with silver. "Now fight me! For todaythe House of Hades will be called the saviours of Olympus." 

"I don't have time for this," Kronos snarled. He struck the ground with his scythe. A crack spread in both directions, circling the Empire State Building. A wall of force shimmered along the fissure line, separating Kronos's vanguard, my friends, and me from the bulk of the two armies. 

"What's he doing?" I muttered. 

"Sealing us in," Thalia said. "He's collapsing the magic barriers around Manhattan—cutting off justthe building, and us." 

Sure enough, outside the barrier, car engines revved to life. Pedestrians woke up and stared uncomprehendingly at the monsters and zombies all around them. No telling what they saw through the Mist, but I'm sure it was plenty scary. Car doors opened. And at the end of the block, Paul Blofis and my mom got out of their Prius. 

"No," I said. "Shit, don't..." 

My mother could see through the Mist. I could tell from her expression that she understood how serious things were. I hoped she would have the sense to run. But she locked eyes with me, said something to Paul, and they ran straight toward us. 

I couldn't call out. 

The last thing I wanted to do was bring her to Kronos's attention. Fortunately, Hades caused a distraction. He charged at the wall of force, but his chariot crashed against it and overturned. He got to his feet, cursing, and blasted the wall with black energy. The barrier held. 

"Attack!" he roared. The armies of the dead clashed with the Titan's monsters. Fifth Avenue exploded into absolute chaos. Mortals screamed and ran for cover. Persephone changed the dracaenae's spears into sunflowers, before cutting them down nimbly. Nico slashed and hacked his way through the enemy, trying to protect the pedestrians as best he could.

My mother ran toward me, dodging monsters and zombies, but there was nothing I could do to help them. 

"Nakamura," Kronos said. "Attend me. Giants—deal with them." 

He pointed at my friends and me. Then he ducked into the lobby. For a second I was stunned. I'd been expecting a fight, but Kronos completely ignored me like I wasn't worth the trouble. That made me mad. 

The first Hyperborean giant smashed at me with his club. I rolled between his legs and stabbed Riptide into his backside. He shattered into a pile of ice shards. The second giant breathed frost at Annabeth, who was barely able to stand, but Grover pulled her out of the way while Thalia went to work. She sprinted up the giant's back, sliced her hunting knives across his monstrous blue neck, and decapitated him. Luke had demolished two more in that time, anger clear on his face. 

I glanced outside the magic barrier. Nico was fighting his way toward my mom and Paul, but they weren't waiting for help. Paul grabbed a sword from a fallen hero and did a pretty fine job keeping a dracaena busy. He stabbed her in the gut, and she disintegrated. 

"Paul?" I said in amazement. He turned toward me and grinned. 

"I hope that was a monster I just killed. I was a Shakespearian actor in college! Picked up a little swordplay!" 

I liked him even better for that, but then a Laistrygonian giant charged toward my mom. She was rummaging around in an abandoned police car—maybe looking for the emergency radio—and her back was turned. 

"Mom!" I yelled. She whirled when the monster was almost on top of her. I thought the thing in her hands was an umbrella until she cranked the pump and the shotgun blast blew the giant twenty feet backward, right into Nico's sword. 

"Nice one," Paul said. 

"When did you learn to fire a shotgun?" I demanded. She'd been holding out on me! My mom blew the hair out of her face. 

"About two seconds ago. Dree, we'll be fine. Go!" 

"Yes," Nico agreed, "we'll handle the army. You have to get Kronos!" 

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty!" Luke called, and I turned. I looked towards the rubble pile, before calling for my dog and getting her on the case. With that, Luke and I, along with our three tag alongs, headed for the elevator.

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Everything was breaking apart. 

"Gods, I hate heights!" Thalia yelled as I helped her across the gaps in the floor. Annabeth was in no shape for jumping. She stumbled and yelped as Luke picked her up and threw her over. I helped to catch her, before Luke followed. 

"Keep moving!" Grover tugged my shoulder. "Everything's dissolving. We'll be marooned."

"It's about to get worse!" I pointed out. "If Kronos gets to Olympus then it'll be so much worse."

We ran through streets. Buildings were burning. Statues had been hacked down. Trees in the parkswere blasted to splinters.

"Kronos's scythe," I said. We followed the winding path toward the conference centre, and it seemed to take longer than I could remember it. The whole mountain top was in ruins, everything burnt or ripped up. A few minor gods and nature spirits had tried to stop Kronos. What remained of them was strewn about the road: shattered armor, ripped clothing, swords and spears broken in half, golden ichor in the cracks of the cobblestone. 

Somewhere ahead of us, Kronos's voice roared: "Brick by brick! That was my promise. Tear it down!" 

A white marble temple with a gold dome suddenly exploded. Rubble rained over the city, all of us ducking our heads down. Every drop of rock had me wincing, wondering if this was going to be our end. 

"That was a shrine to Artemis," Thalia looked distraught. "He'll pay for that." 

We were running under the marble archway with the huge statues of Zeus and Hera when the entire mountain groaned, rocking sideways like a boat in a storm. 

"Look out!" Grover yelped. The archway crumbled. I looked up in time to see a twenty-ton scowling Hera topple over on us.

 Annabeth and I would've been flattened, but Thalia shoved us from behind and we landed just out of danger. 

"Thalia!" Grover cried. When the dust cleared and the mountain stopped rocking, we found her still alive, but her legs were pinned under the statue. We tried desperately to move it, but not even with four of us could that happen. 

When we tried to pull Thaliaout from under it, she yelled in pain. 

"I survive all those battles," she growled, "and I get defeated by a stupid chunk of rock!" 

"It's Hera," Annabeth said in outrage. "She's had it in for me all year. Her statue would've killed me if you hadn't pushed us away." 

Thalia grimaced. "Well, don't just stand there! I'll be fine. Go!" 

"Annabeth, stay with her." Luke muttered, pushing Annabeth back until she stayed with Thalia. "Let us deal. Get help, try and get the bridge back up. We'll be back."

Annabeth wanted to protest, but Luke stood firm. I didn't want her to see me dying. 

"We've got to run," I said. 

"I don't suppose you mean away," Grover murmured hopefully. 

I sprinted toward the palace, Luke right behind me. 

"I was afraid of that," Grover sighed, and clip-clopped after us. 

The doors of the palace were bigger than two blue whale's end to end, but they'd been ripped off their hinges and smashed like they weighed nothing. We had to climb over a huge pile of broken stone and twisted metal to get inside. 

Kronos stood in the middle of the throne room, his arms wide, staring at the starry ceiling as if taking it all in. His laughter echoed even louder than it had from the pit of Tartarus. 

"Finally!" he bellowed. "The Gateway to Olympus! Which seat of power shall Idestroy first?"

Ethan Nakamura stood to one side, trying to stay out of the way of his master's scythe. The hearth was almost dead, just a few coals glowing deep in the ashes. Hestia was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Rachel. 

The Ophiotaurus swam in his water sphere in the far corner of the room, wisely not making a sound, but it wouldn't be long before Kronos noticed him. Luke, Grover, and I stepped forward into the torchlight. Ethan saw us first. 

"My lord," he warned. Kronos turned and smiled through Puck's face. Except for the golden eyes, he looked just the same as he had four years ago when I'd met him in sword fighting with Brooke. Luke huffed, standing taller as he tried to hide the pain of seeing the boy.

"Shall I destroy you first, Jackson?" Kronos asked. "Is that the choice you will make—to fight me and die instead of bowing down? Prophecies never end well, you know." 

"Puck's weapon was a spear. I suppose you don't have the skill to fight with that."

Kronos sneered, the scythe changing into the spear as Luke reminded me of the prophecy lines. Didn't exactly help, but it was nice that he reminded me.

Before I could say anything, Kronos raised the spear to come at me.

"Split!" Luke called, as the three of us dove in different directions. I raced at Kronos, who came at me like a whirlwind. I was keeping up as best I could, but I felt like I was fighting a hundred swordsmen. 

Ethan had tried to duck out the way but had unfortunately met Luke, who was far better than he could ever dream to be, and thus, Ethan was losing. 

Grover was playing his red pipes, boosting morale as I ducked under a jab, being backed towards Hephaestus' throne.

Kronos slashed, and I managed to jump straight up onto the seat. The throne whirred and hummed with secret mechanisms. I set off the defence mode, before jumping over Kronos' head. The throne shot out electricity, hitting Kronos in the face and arcing down his body and up the spear. He dropped it as Luke and I swapped who we were fighting.

"Puck, listen to me!" Luke shouted as I smacked Ethan's head into a throne, before kicking him away from me. Kronos flicked his hand sending Luke flying past me, slamming into the throne of Hermes, and crumpling.

"No! Luke!" Ethan stood between me and them and I couldn't fight both him and Kronos. Grover was hurrying for Luke, still trying to play the music as grass grew around us. Kronos rose to one knee, his hair singed and his face covered in burns. 

The spear didn't fly back to his hands this time.

 "Nakamura!" he groaned. "Time to prove yourself. You know Jackson's secret weakness. Kill her, and you will have rewards beyond measure." 

Ethan's eyes dropped to my midsection, and I was sure that he knew. Even if he couldn't kill me himself, all he had to do was tell Kronos. There was no way I could defend myself forever. 

"You owe me." I reminded him, before looking around. "Is this the reward you wanted? Everything will be destroyed, the good and the bad? You want this?"

Grover had almost reached Luke, who was starting to push himself up.

"There is no throne to Nemesis." Ethan muttered. "No throne to my mother."

"That's right!" Kronos tried to get up, but stumbled as ichor trickled from his ear. "Strike them down! They deserve it!"

"Your mom is the goddess of balance." I reminded the boy. "Is this what balance looks like? Total destruction? Kronos doesn't build, he just destroys."

Ethan looked around, Grover's music seeming to take an effect on him. His good eye blinked and then he charged straight past me and at Kronos. The Titan was still on his knees and Ethan brought his sword down on Kronos' neck. It would have killed him, but the blade shattered and went through Ethan's armor like it was made of butter.

He stumbled away as Kronos rose.

"Treason!" He snarled as I reached forward, grabbing Ethan's shoulder, and sliding him to Luke and Grover. The boy was bleeding as I got in between him and Kronos. No one else would die on my watch.

"Deserve better." Ethan panted, face tight with pain. "If they just...just had thrones-I don't want to die slowly. Please, don't let me die slowly."

He was clutching onto Luke with bloody hands, and I saw my boyfriend's tight face. Ethan would die in agony in the next few minutes, the gods wouldn't be here and it was just us and Kronos. We had no more nectar.

"Please..." He had grabbed onto Luke, who reached for Backbiter. "Thank you."

Luke brought Backbiter down, killing the boy in an instant as both of us turned back to Kronos. Luke was crying, tears falling down his face as I watched Ethan's blood drop to the floor from the tip of Luke's blade.

"You would have been the perfect host, boy." Kronos hissed at Luke, who took a deep breath. "Cold and calculating, you know the cost of war and you know the lives that have to be lost to do so."

"Grover, find a shroud for Ethan." Luke muttered, before both of sprung at Kronos. The fight between the three of us was causing sparks to fly everywhere but Kronos was good, good enough to defend against both of us as he backed me towards my father's throne. Luke brought Backbiter down across his back, earning him a trip into the hearth as Luke tried to roll out as quickly as he could. I slammed Riptide's hilt into Kronos' head and he stamped his foot, slowing time.

I couldn't attack and Kronos took the time to catch his breath and examine the gash in his armor. He could do this as much as he wanted, but I'd wear him out. I knew I could.

"It is too late, Andromeda Jackson. Behold!" He pointed to the hearth and I saw images forming in the smoke. Nico and my mother was on Fifth Avenue, fighting a hopeless battle and Hades was trying his best but the enemies were still coming. Humans were running in terror.

Then it switched, to chariots circling around a storm formation. The gods attacked and I saw Typhon for the first time, terror forming in me. It was worse than the faces of the dead that I constantly saw in my dreams.

"The Olympians are giving their final effort." Kronos laughed. "How pathetic." 

Zeus threw a thunderbolt from his chariot. The blast lit up the world. I could feel the shock even hereon Olympus, but when the dust cleared, Typhon was still standing. He staggered a bit, but he roared in anger and kept advancing. 

My limbs began to loosen up. Kronos didn't seem to notice. His attention was focused on the fight and his final victory. If I could hold out a few more seconds, and if my dad kept his word...Typhon stepped into the Hudson River and barely sank to midcalf. 

Now, I prayed for my dad, catching Luke's eyes as we both shared a thought. It had to be now.

Like a miracle, a conch horn sounded from the smoky picture. The call of the ocean. The call of Poseidon. All around Typhon, the Hudson River erupted, churning with forty-foot waves. Out of the water burst a new chariot—this one pulled by massive hippocampi, who swam in air as easily as in water. 

My father, glowing with a blue aura of power, rode a defiant circle around the giant's legs. Poseidon was no longer an old man, he looked like himself again. As he swung his trident, the river responded, making a funnel cloud around the monster. 

"No!" Kronos bellowed after a moment of stunned silence. "No!" 

"Now, my brethren!" Poseidon's voice was so loud I wasn't sure if I was hearing it from the smoke image or from all the way across town. "Strike!" 

Warriors burst out of the river, riding the waves on huge sharks and dragons and sea horses. The warriors were armed with grappling hooks at the ends. They swung them like lassos and began to ensnare Typhon, throwing lines around the creature's legs and arms, using the tide to keep circling, slowly tangling him. Typhon shook and roared and yanked at the chains, but there were too many. 

The sheer weight of the battalion began to weigh Typhon down. Poseidon threw his trident and impaled the monster in the throat. Golden ichor spewed from the wound, making a waterfall taller than a skyscraper. The trident flew back to Poseidon's hand. 

The other gods struck with renewed force, hitting him with enough force to decimate a city or so. Typhon bellowed in agony, thrashing and scrabbling to try and get loose but down he went as my dad opened a special tunnel for him at the bottom of the river—an endless waterslide that would take him straight to Tartarus. The giant's head went under in a seething whirlpool, and he was gone. 

Kronos screamed. He slashed his spear through the smoke, tearing the image to shreds.

"They're on their way," I said. "You've lost." 

"I haven't even started." He advanced with blinding speed. Grover—brave, stupid satyr that he was—tried to protect me, but Kronos tossed him aside like a rag doll. I sidestepped and jabbed under Kronos's guard. It was a good trick. 

Unfortunately, Puck knew it. 

He countered the strike and disarmed me. My sword skittered across the ground and fell straight into an open fissure. I pulled a face as Luke intercepted, taking up the fight though I wanted to yell at him not to. He wasn't protected.

Puck tried to strike down, but Luke caught it, and I slammed my back against his to keep him upright, both of us groaning under the weight. 

"Puck, if anyone would understand, it's me." He called. "Trust me." 

"Puck Grange is dead!" Kronos howled. "His body will burn away as I assume my true form!" 

Kronos pushed as Luke and I groaned in pain, both of us trying to avoid backing into a throne.

"I know your fate. I know what is going to happen!" Luke shouted. "My mother tried to become the Oracle. I was supposed to be in your place. I know what happens! I know how this ends, what your fate is!"

"Service to Kronos! This is my fate! You were too weak, too distracted, I took over!"

"No it's not." Luke sounded like he was about to cry and I tried to give him more strength. "I spoke to my mother, I know what happens. This isn't the end!"

"I will crush you, boy."

"No you won't." Luke shook his head. "You're holding Kronos back even now."

"Lies!" Kronos shoved Luke and both of us went flying, sliding until we hit the bottom of Zeus' throne. I struggled to my feet as Luke stood too.

"You remember what I said, on the first day when you came to camp..." Luke stood, holding Backbiter to the side. 

"No..." Kronos was shaking his head, backing away. "No!"

"I told you that I'd protect you, that I'd keep you safe." A tear slipped down Luke's face. "I'm sorry I failed you..."'

"No!" Kronos stumbled, but it wasn't his voice that came out, it was Puck's. "No...no..."

He looked up, brown eyes meeting ours.

"I-" He reverted to the sixteen year old boy.

"It's alright, Puck." Luke promised, getting closer as his hand touched the boy's cheek. "It's alright, you're alright. Just tell me where..."

"I'm sorry..." Puck cried, clutching onto Luke's shirt, hugging him as Luke nodded. He was so small in comparison to Luke, so small. "I didn't mean to, I didn't-I didn't-Luke, please...please..."

"I know..."

"He's changing. Help, please, he's almost ready. He's not going to need my body anymore..." Puck cried, clutching onto Luke as Luke nodded. His hand trembled, and I understood what Luke was going to do, he was going to kill Puck with Backbiter, the sword designed to kill mortals...

"I'm sorry..." Puck sobbed again, as he told us where he was invulnerable. His eyes flashed between golden and brown, but he pushed Kronos down. I took Backbiter from Luke's hand, ducking behind the boy as I saw Luke cry. He held Puck a little tighter, pushing the boy's head into his shoulder as he hushed him so that Puck couldn't see the blade, couldn't see me. "I don't want to die, I don't want to die..."

"I know, I've got you. You're alright, you're alright." Luke promised as I found the point and took a deep breath. "You're not gonna die. We'll wait for the gods, yeah?"

"Yeah...I don't want to die, Luke, I'm sorry. I want my dad..." Puck cried as I sighed, brushed my own tears away and pushed the sword into Puck's side.

Kronos never saw it coming. Everything went still for a moment as Puck looked up at Luke, who was crying. Betrayal was clear in his eyes, stepping back slightly as he watched the man.

"You lied..." Puck pulled back, before the force of a nuclear explosion hit us, coming from Puck's body. Both of us were sent flying, and it grew silent. When my eyes started working again, I found Puck lying by the hearth. Luke was against a throne, his head turned away, not moving and I couldn't see if he was breathing.

Puck took a shaky breath and I had to make a decision. Grover was by Luke's side now, turning him over as I hurried to Puck. I couldn't let a sixteen year old boy die alone. Grover would save Luke.

His eyes were open, rattling breaths coming from his lungs as I pulled Backbiter free. Grabbing his hand, I wondered if he could see me.

"Brooke...?" He called out, searching for his sister as I squeezed his hand. "Brooke, is that you?"

I took a deep breath as Puck tightened his grip, tears falling from his eyes as he trembled and shivered. 

"I'm sorry, Brooke. I'm sorry."

"I know you are..." I whispered, closing his eyes gently. Despite him almost killing me, he was still a sixteen year old boy. He was someone's son, and someone was going to miss him very dearly. Someone was going to lose their only child.

"You're not Brooke. Where's Brooke?" He began to push and claw me away, more blood coming from the wound.

"She's coming, Puck." I promised him as he stopped struggling and calmed. "She's coming. You just hold on."

"It hurts..." Puck cried. "It hurts. Why did Luke lie? He said he wouldn't hurt me. He said he'd...he'd protect me?"

"He was trying..." I promised, brushing his hair back. "He was trying. You did so well to hold Kronos, Puck. You did really well."

"Was I a hero?" Puck whimpered, trembling as more blood seeped out around us. "It hurts so much."

"You did so well." I promised him, squeezing hand. It was growing colder and I tried not to cry, thinking of how could Kronos manipulate a twelve year old into doing this. He was just a little boy and now, he would never go back to his sister or dad. They'd always be waiting for a boy who'd lost his life too early, by my hands. 

"All the unclaimed. Me, Brooke, don't let it...don't let it happen again."

"It won't. I promise you." I swore leaning to touch my forehead to his. He was so small. He was so young.

"I don't want to die alone." He whispered, crying. "I'm scared. I want my sister. I want Brooke."

"You're not. I'm here. I've got you." I promised, matching my breathing to his as he took his last few rattling breaths, before suddenly, it was quiet. His hand went slack in mine, nothing moving as I thought of what his life could have been if Kronos had never taken influence. He would have grown up, gone to college, got a job, got married but instead, because of the gods and the Titans, he was dead on the floor and I had killed him.

The gods arrived a few minutes later, in their full war regalia, expecting a battle. What they found was Grover looking after Luke and me hovering with a dead body of a little boy.

"Dree?" My father called, awe in his voice as I looked up, tears falling down my cheeks. "What...what is this?"

"We need a shroud." My voice cracked. "A shroud for the son of Hecate."

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Hiya,

So, somethings have changed. If Luke had still been Kronos' host, then the prophecy would have stayed the same, but it didn't so Andi was the one who killed him and was the hero. The cursed blade is Backbiter, because it can kill humans, demigods and monsters. Luke killed Ethan as a mercy kill, Luke is injured, Andi killed Puck and in the end, Puck was only a little boy who had his whole life ahead of him if he wasn't groomed and manipulated into this. This was a long chapter, because I wanted this all as one.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx